It's true that some tasks are easier in Python than in Java. Java's Date-related libraries are norotiously horrible. And I'm sure that text parsing tasks (like pattern matching, etc.) are more suited for a scripting like Python or Perl than for Java.
However, in my experience, programs written in scripting languages (like Python and Perl) tend to be sloppy, not very object-oriented, overly simplistic, and error-prone. They are great for quick-and- dirty solutions or for specialized tasks like text-parsing. On top of that, Python programs tend to be harder to read and understand. On the other extreme, C++ is a great language for low-level things like kernel stuff, device drivers, and that sort of thing. Java, on the other hand, really shines as a language for developing *applications*. When writing an application, you want a high-level, object oriented language, able to integrate with a lot of different components... but you also want it to be very robust. You want a language that will be strict, not loose. You want type safety, catching exceptions, that kind of thing. You want it to be pre- compiled and not runtime-interpreted. You also want to be able to easily debug applications. You also want a language that is mature, because then you gain the benefits of high quality and a large community that can contribute. You'll get a lot more third-party library availability, forum discussions, etc. I'm not saying that Python doesn't support object-oriented design (it does), or that you can't write robust Python code. And Java can blow up pretty easily, too, such as the notorious NullPointerException. And I will admit that for my graduate school projects, I like to use Perl, because it's quick-and-dirty, even more so than Python probably, and that's perfect for a small project. But if you're going to write an application for a lot of users, Java is your friend. :D -- PJ On Nov 23, 4:55 pm, Sean Dague <[email protected]> wrote: > Esmail wrote: > > Lee Olayvar wrote: > >> To my knowledge, Java is simply faster. That, and Python is also rather > >> "big". > > > Is it really faster? Is that a consequence of a better virtual machine? > > On a proper x86 chip, it's *a lot* faster > -http://shootout.alioth.debian.org/u32q/fastest.php?d=ndata&calc=calcu... > > I suspect it's still faster on the Arm chip, but you'd have to run your > own numbers to be sure. I also suspect that the security model for java > is a bit easier to contain with multiple applications running. > > You can do a certain amount of development with ASE in python (or perl, > lua, jruby, bash). You don't get access to everything, but for small > things it is probably enough to play around with. > > -Sean > > -- > __________________________________________________________________ > > Sean Dague Mid-Hudson Valley > [email protected] Linux Users > Grouphttp://dague.net http://mhvlug.org > > There is no silver bullet. Plus, werewolves make better neighbors > than zombies, and they tend to keep the vampire population down. > __________________________________________________________________ > > signature.asc > < 1KViewDownload -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Beginners" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-beginners?hl=en
